Interview Mary Jean Kelso

by

Tricia McGill

1) Would you like to tell us about The Homesteader, Mary Jean? How did the story come about, and where did the plot idea come from?

The Homesteader came about after I went to visit the remaining 40 acres of land that my maternal grandmother had homesteaded. I photographed the pieces of the windmill lying imbedded in the grass and dirt. I had the photo enlarged and set it on top of my computer desk where it seemed to be the inspiration for a story that wanted to write itself. The main story came quickly and then much time was spent embellishing it. Friends that read the manuscript before it was finished loved the animals in it. My editor had to catch my “personifying” the animals and get me to work around that. I just wanted to tell a story about a woman determined to create a home for herself and her family. She had to do it from scratch and was determined to carry out her plans. As it happened, as Molly’s life came together, I had to give up my home and make a new life for myself after too many years in a bad marriage. So, the book has been refined during a time of transition in my life, which has been, ironically, kind of in reverse of the story line. Although, I am rebuilding my life as well.

2) I see your heroine is independent. I love strong-willed independent women. Please tell us who Molly is based on--if anyone, and what came first, the plot line or the characters.

I have always been very independent and felt it must have come from my grandmother who was a New Mexico homesteader (a widow with several children) and schoolteacher. She lived a hard life and I am sure is probably “spinning in her grave” over some of the risqué things that are written in the book. Although her name was Mary Ellen, in doing genealogy research I came across a spot where she was referred to as Molly. Only the idea of a woman homesteader, the name, Molly, and her being a schoolteacher has anything to do with my grandmother’s life. I never met my grandmother, but I don’t believe there are many other coincidences. I had not planned to use her as the basis for the story, it just seemed to evolve. I have always written about strong females. The type that just keep on keeping on and never give up.

3) Do you, like me, get your character’s names out of thin air, or do you agonize over them for weeks?

I thought Trace Westerman was a clever name, since it sounded so western. Molly, of course, came from my grandmother. I had not planned to make the character red headed, on purpose, as my grandmother, myself and several of my granddaughters are red heads. But, when Richard Stroud did the cover, he apparently picked up on her being Irish and so I needed to go back and change her brown hair to red, which is very prominent on the cover. Names don’t seem to be a problem for me although I sometimes have to “play” with them and refine them. There is a baby named Eula Mae in the book but it seemed clumsy so I have the children call her Emmy.

4) Tell us a little about your working schedule. Do you write regularly or have spasmodic spurts?

I guess I am a pretty sporadic writer as family, and life in general, interferes with the schedules. Often times I write at length and then there are times that I can’t seem to get to the computer. All of us have the other housekeeping chores of doing all the miscellaneous things that are involved in writing but are not actually putting words on paper. I firmly believe that the writing has to fit around the living, otherwise, what’s the point? There have been a couple of books where the Muse seemed to be in control and that is always fun. It was like I was transcribing words and I found surprises around every turn and the writing was joyous. Not so with the sequel to The Homesteader. Unlike the first, it is a real struggle and, although I find surprising ideas popping in now and then, I will have to go back and do a major rewrite to pull everything together.

5) What can we expect from you next? Are you working on another book? What’s in the pipeline?

Wings will bring out Goodbye Is Forever, in March, which is a reprint of my first Young Adult novel. I am currently a third of the way through the rough draft of the sequel to The Homesteader and still finding my way. Wings has offered to look at the other 3 Young Adult novels I have for reprint, so fitting the time in to reformat them is also on the list. (Abducted! Of which I plan to change the title since it is the sequel to Goodbye Is Forever, then Sierra Summer, which is a third in that series and Goodbye, Bodie, an historical YA). Wings is also looking at 5 of my children’s books which are small enough, since they wouldn’t have illustrations, to be combined into one e-book. I am finding there is so much more work (revising, making corrections, getting reviews, interviews, promoting, and all the other labors that go into getting a book off the ground, that I have to really try to stay on top of things and keep changing my priority list! Blue Coat is out to Whiskey Creek Press right now and I’m hoping that will be a home for it. Wings looked at it but felt there were too many characters. Since I don’t want to cut any of them, I’m shopping it around.

6) My ideas mostly spring to mind in the early hours of the morning when I’m barely awake. When do your ideas arrive and do you jot down notes, or wait until you begin to write and let the muse take over?

Just before I fall asleep at night ideas pop into my head and I have to jot them down or they are gone in the morning. In the shower in the morning, I sometimes have to hop out and scribble things down on paper that quickly becomes water spotted or lose that as well. No matter how hard one tries, it seems it is sometimes impossible to draw back an idea that has gone astray.

7) Did you always want to be a writer? How long have you been writing?

I can’t remember a time I didn’t write. When I was in grade school, I wrote, hectographed (remember those?) and distributed a newspaper to people in the small community where we lived out in the mountains. I’m sure the nickel people paid me for it was just to console a kid, but the publication seemed real to me. I always admired Lois Lane, not because she had Superman but because she always got the story. I fumbled around for many years writing small journalism things and finally decided to write what I loved, which was fiction.

8) If a beginner writer asks for advice what do you usually tell them?

I spent so many years “blocked” by all the rules, that I tell them there are no rules. I found trying too hard to do what other people said was the right way, only constipated the mind. So, I say write any way you can, any way you want, then worry about cleaning it up and finding a niche for it. Criticism is a big deal in this business. It is hard to remember, that other people’s comments are just their own opinion. Your opinion counts, too. Take what helps and ignore the rest.

9) What type of books do you like to read and who are your favorite authors?

My very favorite author is Phyllis A. Whitney. She has written so many books and I like something with interesting locations in it as well as suspense or mystery. Of course, as a kid, I devoured Nancy Drew stories. That is very evident in my Mystery in Virginia City which The Reno Gazette Journal reviewed as “Nevada’s Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys” story. This book went on to become A Virginia City Mystery and now will come out as Goodbye Is Forever through Wings Press.

10) If you could be granted three writing related wishes what would they be?

1) A secretary or at least a typist. I have an on the job injury that is like carpel tunnel only it is more mouse-related as it affects my elbow and shoulder when I use my right arm to manipulate the mouse too much. The schedule has been so hectic lately that I am retraining my left hand to use the track ball while I try to ease the pain in my right arm.

2) My own office supply store

3) To be cloned into two people so there is time for a family life and a writing life.